"Did you see that?"
"Yeah. I knew he was weird, but he even talks to himself?!"
"Let's stay away from him. I smell trouble."
"You don't have to tell me that twice."
Gishana overheard some of the children, muttering to themselves. They seemed bothered by something. The vibe she was getting from them felt painfully similar. The judgement, the lack of empathy, it all made her feel sick to her stomach. Another upsetting feeling filled her heart as she came closer to the school. Idate wasn't at his usual pick up spot, along the short brick wall.
Her fists tightened around the straps of her backpack. She couldn't tell whether it was fear or frustration. Glancing east and west, she hoped to find her little cousin. Further beyond the hill she recognized his big head as it slowly descended out of sight.
Running towards him, her words yelled his name. Yet he continued walking away from her. Extending her hands forward, Gishana clutched Idate's shoulder. He turned around reluctantly. His eyes full of sadness. His head caught up in distorted clouds. As Gishana was scolding him, one of the teachers approached, putting in her two cents of disapproval towards both of them; Gishana's "lack of responsibility and reliable punctuality " and Idate's "selfish decision of premeditated absence." (These were her words however) Once the apologies were given, she went her proud and merry way, carrying the weight of the campus on her back or that's what she thought at least.
Gishana and Idate stood there speechless. Nothing good was to be said. They both had a terrible first day.
*****
In his room Idate sat alone, his feet were resting against the wall. His head cocked back as he stared endlessly into the ceiling. The room remained quiet, except for the sound of the air conditioning blaring through the vents. On the floor laid his backpack, shoes, and socks, scattered about with no specific arrangement. Gishana walked in, standing by the door frame.
"Hey, do you want anything to eat?" She asked, with bit of hesitation in her voice. There wasn't much that the two could talk about. Their age gap was too big. What happened earlier made it much more difficult for a conversation to even happen. After not saying anything, his silence answered her question. She could tell he wanted to be alone. The corners of his eyes were filled with tears. Gishana took a deep breathe and sighed.
"I'll make you a sandwich just in case you're hungry, okay?" As she went back downstairs.
To him everything was a bother. The rocky start to the school year had already displaced all of his hopes. He already had trouble making friends and now he had to worry about some ghost boy bullying him. It was a drag. "Can't I catch a break?!" He thought. His hand rubbed against his face, resting over his eyes. What was the source of his problem? Why did all these things happen? Where did it all start? These thoughts circulated in his head.
Suddenly it all clicked. He rose up gently from the bed, shifting his focus to the floor. Idate unzipped his backpack. He flipped it upside down, all the junk from school came tumbling out. There Rocky laid on top of the pile of papers and pencils. His once favorite toy had become an eyesore to him. Every day he spent with it made him happy. All the outside adventures, the bath filled fun times, and night time wonders were nothing but a sweet memory now. The ghost boy had diminished his positive experiences, the last bits of happiness he needed to keep him going.
Opening the window, he peered over to the dumpster, planted in the alley way.
"What are you doing?!" a voice barked.
Without even turning around, Idate plainly said, "I'm getting rid of you."
"Why?!"
"What do you mean why?! Have you not seen how you've treated me! What else did you expect?!"
"At least return what you stole back to the grave!! This was your fault to begin with! Not mine!!"
"Shut up!!"
Idate pulled back his arm, getting ready to throw the toy like a football. He whipped forward his hand. Before he could released his grip, two transparent hands wrapped around his fingers, closing his palm.
"Let go!!! Ghosts aren't supposed to be able to do this!!" He shouted.
"Idate what's going on?!" Gishana's faint voice came from downstairs. Her footsteps ran up the stairwell, making little thumping noises along the way. Idate and the ghost stood there awkwardly eyeing each other. He quickly returned to his senses, whispering one last sentence before he tossed the toy through the window.
"Leave me alone and never bother me again!"
The red Ranger went flying in the air, spinning in circles. The head and legs propelled forward like a windmill to in an abrupt wind. Without any delays it impacted the surrounding garbage, sending the empty plastic bottles near it into chaotic motion.
"I'll be back...I don't know how but I will!" The ghost boy proclaimed as he faded away. The room's hectic atmosphere followed his lead. Gishana came running into the room.
"What's going on?! Why are you yelling?"
"It's nothing. I'm sorry. I thought it was a spider,"
"A spider?! But you're not afraid of bugs. Ugh never mind. Come down and eat with me."
She pulled him by the tips of his fingers, leading him downward. The smell of spam gradually filled the air.
"It smells like you burnt it again, Gishana,"
"Shhhh! It'll still taste good!" She exclaimed. Her hands grabbed the bottle of mustard sitting on the counter, gently topping the crispy bits of meat. Together they sat in the kitchen, eating burnt spam sandwiches, with the tv playing reruns of cartoons in the background. The fan blew all the smoke towards the window, carrying away the unwanted congestion. Like the smoke, their troubles had left them as well. It was a peaceful moment for the two, even if it was only temporary.
